About Long Beach Meditation

Mission Statement

It is the mission of Long Beach Meditation to offer a welcoming space for all to learn and practice the art of meditation and mindful awareness. We practice the profound teachings originating from the historical Buddha, and welcome the wisdom from all the world’s traditions.

Our programs and spaces are open to all races, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, and religious or political affiliations. We are committed to diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and community.

We practice in Long Beach and the surrounding areas where the Tongva Nation and other indigenous peoples have lived before us for thousands of years. We honor them and bear in mind the suffering they have endured.

Vision Statement

We will actualize and maintain the strength and depth of the contemplative teachings that inform and inspire our meditation classes, events, and programs. We will provide a supportive container for the practice of meditation and mindful awareness, throughout the local community, and to our online global village. We will work to find new ways to respond to our increasingly challenging world with empathy and respect, improving opportunities for social connection, increased access, open communication, and compassionate support. We are dedicated to honoring and integrating teachings from both secular and non-secular spiritual traditions to broaden our reach for the benefit of all people.

Our Values

• We are peaceful.

• We are accessible - classes and programs are affordable or free and available to everyone.

• We are mindful - we strive to live the teachings in all interactions and in our engagement with the world.

• We are diverse - our staff, board, guests, and community reflects the diversity of thought, demographics, race, and background of our broader community.

• We are compassionate.

• We are transparent - we rely on the generosity of our sponsors and donors for funds to make classes and programs available to those who cannot afford them.

• We are inclusive - we welcome everyone without exception and work to create a community of welcoming kindness.

• We are community-oriented - our impact reaches beyond our programs through community engagement strategies that improves our neighborhood.

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors are the fiduciaries who steer the organization towards a sustainable future through sound ethical, legal and financial policies. They guide our non-profits' progress toward its mission, while ensuring our teachers have the necessary support and resources to continue to serve the community.

Brandon Salcido - Chair

Brandon has served on the Board since 2017 and in the role of Board Chair since 2019. He began attending classes at Long Beach Meditation in 2015. Brandon is a health, environment and safety professional with extensive experience in facilitating project management. In his spare time enjoys riding his motorcycle through the hills of Orange County.

Wendy Danbury - Vice Chair

Wendy has served on the Board since 2022. She conceived, developed, and leads the highly successful Long Beach Meditation Bookclub. She is the Learning and Development Manager at a manufacturing software company. She lives with her husband and two dogs, Kira (a black German Shepherd) and Dobby (a Chinese Crested Dog). Wendy first took a basics of meditation class through the Orange Community Services, and started attending Long Beach Meditation after an invitation by a friend in 2019. Meditation has helped her improve mental focus and process emotions more fully.

Kisen Fredella - Treasurer

Kisen has served on the Board since 2019 and in the role of Treasurer since 2020. Originally from New York, Kisen moved to Long Beach, CA in 2015. After a decade-long home meditation practice, she was introduced to Long Beach Meditation in early 2018 and has been an active member ever since. She lives and trains at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center with Jokai Blackwell Roshi.

Kaletis Manfredi - Secretary

Kaletis joined the Board as Secretary in 2022 and has been attending Long Beach Meditation since 2017. She brings many years of experience working with HOAs and finds fulfillment investing her time in the community. Kaletis has been serving the community of Long Beach for 25 years as a Letter Carrier. She enjoys creating art and time with family where they live in Long Beach.

Alma Castro - Board Member

Alma has served on the Board since 2020 and been part of the Sangha since 2014. She loves Long Beach and is proud to call this city her home. She recently worked for the City of Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department and has had various roles within the City. She currently works for a non-profit think tank dedicated to understanding Latinx voters. She has a strong commitment to her community and social justice. She thrives to align her meditation practice to her daily life. Alma is a co-facilitator of the Long Beach Meditation Book Club and is a valued champion of diversity and inclusion in the leadership and membership of the sangha.

Jokai Blackwell Roshi - Guiding Teacher and Board Member

Serving as the Guiding Teacher since 2018, Jokai represents the teachers of Long Beach Meditation during Board meetings, solicits teacher support from the Board, and recommends programming. He is in residency at the Yokoji Zen Mountain Center near Idyllwild and hosts multiple Long Beach Meditation retreats there throughout the year. In 2000 Jokai began studying with Charles Tenshin Fletcher Roshi at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center. After completing formal study, encompassing over a decade of residential training and service, in 2014 he received Dharma Transmission, full authorization to teach, in the White Plum Lineage of Zen Buddhism. He received Inka, the final seal of certification in Zen, in 2022. Jokai emphasizes the direct experience of awakening using contemporary language and time-honored methods. He continues to live, work, and teach in Southern California.

Our Origin Story: A History of Long Beach Meditation

Long Beach Meditation was founded in 1993, and we have since come to be the longest serving nondenominational meditation center in Long Beach. Initially, our founder Dr. Victor Byrd, PhD, organized a small group of people who began meeting together in the Naples area of Long Beach. Throughout the following years this community grew and in 2010, Long Beach Meditation was incorporated as a nonprofit organization. In 2013 LBM began offering its first meditation classes and workshops at the Peace Builders location in downtown Long Beach. After providing meditation programs at that location for several years it was sold, prompting us to make one more move.

In the summer of 2017 Long Beach Meditation was invited to the beautiful Bay Shore Community Congregational Church in Belmont Shore. We appreciate the beautiful space and the Gabrielson Chapel, with stained glass panels the length of the meditation hall. Thanks to their open arms and open hearts, we remain there to this day. 

In 2018, Jokai Blackwell Roshi was invited to become our Guiding Teacher. With Jokai Blackwell Roshi at the helm, Long Beach Meditation continues to grow and deepen as a practicing community. We are grateful for the opportunity to fulfill our mission, providing an accessible welcoming space for all to learn and practice meditation and mindful awareness.

VISITING

Long Beach Meditation meets in the Gabrielson Chapel within Bay Shore Community Congregational Church in Belmont Shore:

Bay Shore Community Congregational Church
5100 E. The Toledo
Long Beach, CA 90803

Free parking is available in the Church parking lot during most LBM programs, however, please heed the parking signs and inquire with us about parking if you are unsure.